The Fight Lab

[fightlab]

Luke Rockhold's Return...

We haven't seen the former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the octagon for nearly 3 years now. Last time out we saw him face the former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.

Unfortunately for Luke that fight didn’t go his way, but that was at 205lbs, this next fight he has set for him on Jul 30th will be at his natural weight class at 185lbs.

After so much time away from the sport you’d expect him to come back to someone lower in the rankings, give himself the best chance to secure a win and get the mojo back… but no Luke is going to fight former title challenger Paulo Costa.

Costa is coming off 2 losses, one to Israel Adesanya for the middleweight belt in 2020 the second being to Marvin Vetori at the end of 2021.

In the Vettori fight Costa didn’t make weight, and from the outside looking in it seemed like he didn’t even try. The fight was set for 185lbs but was then changed a number of times on fight week and ended up at 205lbs.

Rockhold had some comments about Costa’s recent weight issues, “I like Paulo, I like this fight, I like this weight,” said Rockhold. “I want to fight him at ’85, yeah. I’ll give him a five-pound allowance. If he can’t make 190, f—k off and let’s move on”

[fightlab]

Charles Oliveira v Alexander Volkanovski Super Fight…

Charles Oliviera is probably the most exciting fighter on the UFC roster right now. Racking up some serious wins on his record against killers at 155, with another excellent first round submission against Justin Gaethje recently, he is on track to become one of the best lightweights of all time.

As much as I like the Islam Mackachev fight there is a much bigger fight at 155 for Charles and that is Alexander Volkanovski.

This fight isn’t that much of a pipe dream, Volkanovski has been a dominant champ at 145 and has hinted at moving up to 155 after his last win. UFC president Dana White also told the MMA media he would go straight into a fight with the 155 champ if he does move up.

He has a tough test first in a third fight with Max Holloway at UFC 276 in July.

Their first two fights were razor close but if Alex can get the win then a fight with Charles is that much more feasible.

Looking at this fight and how it would play out, Charles will obviously bring a much bigger submission threat if the fight goes to the ground.

Alex has shown us he can deal with some truly fight ending submissions, positions where a lot of other fighters would’ve tapped. At UFC 266 Alex weathered the storm of some of Brian Ortega’s best submission attempts, then made him pay for them with some vicious ground and pound. 

Alex is very well rounded. We saw it in his last fight with the Korean Zombie, leg kicks, takedowns, trips, boxing, wowing the Florida crowd with a flawless performance. The speed and technique of his boxing was amazing and it got him the win in round 4.

Charles has shown excellent ability in his striking also, however he does get hit... and don’t get me wrong it makes his fights a joy to watch but getting dropped in his last 3 fights (Chandler, Poirier and Gaethje) isn’t a track record he will want to keep up.

Honestly it’s a coin flip who would win.

This is number 2 and 4 in the pound for pound best fighters in the world, it could go either way.

All I know is I want to see it.

Volkanovki vs Oliveria BOOK IT!

[fightlab]

7 Best UFC Fights On Youtube

Here’s a list of the best fights on youtube, if you want to show someone why the UFC is the most electrifying sport on the planet choose your fight from this list.

1. Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Weili Zhang

Greatest title fight ever? | Zhang Weili v Joanna Jedrzejczyk | UFC 248 Full-Fight Replay

What has to be the best female fight in UFC history, and arguably the most exciting title fight in UFC history. And if you are a regular on UFC fan pages you may have heard a rematch is in the works!

2. Dan Hooker vs Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker's incredible-five rounder! Full-Fight Replay

“One of the best rounds of 2020, unless you like defense!” - Jon Anik

These two guys were so evenly matched throughout what can only be described as a war. Two big names at 155 going toe to toe, well worth a look.

3. Robbie Lawlor vs Rory MacDonald

Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald 2 full fight HD

The faces of these two men once the 5 rounds had ended will tell you all you need to know about how good this fight was…

4. Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafasson 1

Free Fight: Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson 1 | UFC 165, 2013

What a display of heart from both men over these 5 rounds, they were so evenly matched nobody knew who won. With the crowd on their feet at the end of the fifth round Joe Rogan said it best

“That might be the greatest title fight in the history of the light heavyweight division!”

5. Nate Diaz vs Conor Mcgregor 2

Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 2 Full fight - UFC 202

This was a back and forth fight for all 5 rounds it went for. Conor came in with a plan of righting the wrong of his first ever UFC defeat. And Nate wanted to show the world the first fight a few months prior wasn't just luck.

One of the highest pay per view events in the company's history at 1.65 million and it didn't disappoint!

6. Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler

UFC 274 Free Fight: Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler

A brutal 3 round fight that almost certainly would have gave us a knockout had it been a 5 rounder. This was one of the first few UFC events which had a packed crowd, and they loved this fight!

7. Forest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar

Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale

The fight that could have very well made the UFC what it is today, the single best promotion in combat sports. Dana White has said before that the ultimate fighter was their last roll of the dice to grow the UFC fanbase, but he needed the fights on it to deliver, thankfully this one did.

It was a fantastic fight that had the crowd on their feet throughout! Maybe if this fight didn't deliver the UFC wouldn't have made it and we might not have the other 6 on this list, who knows…

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Aljamain Sterling vs Petr Yan 2

We have a stacked fight card coming up soon at UFC 273 with an amazing co-main event to unify the 135lb belts. A rematch between the interim champ Petr Yan taking on the new champion Aljamain Sterling.

This rematch was bound to happen.. If you're a UFC fan you know what happened back in March of 2021 at UFC 259. Petr Yan was winning most of the fight and in the heat of the moment or in bad intentions whatever it was kneed Sterling in the head while he was down and got disqualified.

But the fight did deliver for the 4 rounds we saw..

Sterling had some good moments in the first 2 rounds, starting the fight by swarming Yan with a crazy level of pace, he gave Yan no space to work and kept the pressure on him.

However as the fight moved into the third round it was clear Yan was more efficient with his energy and Sterling started getting tired. The movements he made got slower and seemed more laboured, Yan capitalised on this and showed us why he was the champion.

The fourth was much the same until the illegal knee.

The rematch should be an action packed fight if it’s anything like the first one, just this time it will take place in Jacksonville Florida where there will be 20,000 screaming fans in the building. 

[fightlab]

Khamzat Chimaev…is the hype real?

Khamzat Chimaev has kicked down the door of the UFC and has captured the imagination of all of us fans.

He's 10-0..

3 Fights in the UFC and 3 Wins in the UFC.

Finishing all his opponents in the first round and gaining some insane hype from it…

And everyone wants to know the same thing… can he keep this up?

More specifically can he keep this up once he gets close to the top of the division. We will have the answer to that very question this weekend as he comes up against Gilbert Burns.

Gilbert is ranked number 2 in the world and for good reason, he's an excellent fighter who was close to becoming champion when he fought Kamaru Usman back in February 2021.

The winner of this fight is bound to get the next crack at the title… that's if Kamaru beats Leon Edwards. If Leon wins there will likely be a rubber match between them two before the next contender is brought in.

Khamzat's hype is winning over the odds makers because he is coming into the fight this weekend as a huge favourite, which is surprising. Especially when you take into account Gilbert being a former title challenger, his excellent jiu jitsu and the toughness he has shown us inside the octagon.

So…

Will Khamzats domination continue or will Gilbert cause an upset.

[fightlab]

Paul Craig vs Anthony Smith

So last night was UFC london and it was amazing, so much so Dana White said this to MMA media after.

"We're coming back this year, I don't give a sh*t what the schedule is!”

One particular fight in the prelims that had everyone on the edge of their seats was Paul Craig (16-4-1) vs Nikita Kylov (27-9-0).

It looked like the British fans might be disappointed because Paul Craig was taking some heavy shots while on his back… but it was all part of his plan.

Paul managed to pull off a triangle submission in the blink of an eye and submitted Kylov in the first round.

In his octagon interview Paul called out number 5 ranked Anthony Smith, what a call out!

He had a few things to say about Anthony in the post fight press conference also…

“Looking for someone who brings out the best in me”

“Who puts that fear in me, ya know that fear that makes you get up at half six in the morning”

Paul has a lot of kind words to say about Anthony and he knows the threat Anthony brings. There seems to be a mutual respect between the two as Anthony had similarly good things to say about Paul on the Believe You Me podcast this week but followed them up with some fighting words…

“But I will beat Paul Craig’s f*cking ass”

“If that’s the fight the UFC want … I'm all about it.”

Anthony Smith would be a huge step up in competition for Paul, but if Paul could pull off a victory against him he would be most definitely in the title conversation.

But Anthony is also on the hunt for a title before his career is over, which makes this fight so good.

If the UFC makes this fight it’s likely the winner could get that title shot.

[fightlab]

Will Conor ever be the champ again?

The common narrative is that Conor McGregor’s time in the sun has came and gone. With him peeking in 2016 when he fought Eddie Alverez and becoming the first double champ in the UFC.

After which he made a boatload of money having a boxing fight with Floyd Mayweather, he took time away from his mma career which seems to have been to his detriment. Since the Mayweather fight he has fought 4 times winning only one of those fights, which was against a veteran of the sport in Donald “Cowboy" Cerrone.

The question for mma fans is will we ever see conor mcgregor as the champion again.

Well it’s a very real possibility that on his return he will be stepping straight into a title shot, with Conor pushing for it and the UFC saying it's possible.

So how does he match up with the top guys at 155lbs?

Well at the moment the champ is Charles “do Bronx” Olivera, a black belt in brazilian jiu jitsu Record: 32-8-0 (1 NC). Conor is known for his striking ability and charles is known for his excellent submissions with his jiu jitsu. It's a mix match with styles so it would make for an interesting fight that could go either way.

However Charles has to defend his belt first against Justin Gaethje, and if Justin wins that’s probably a much tougher fight for Conor than Charles. Justin has excellent wrestling but never uses it offensively in fights. He stands and trades with his opponent, you would imagine this would suit Conor more.. But Justin is well known for having some of the most vicious leg kicks in the UFC, and with a lot of unknowns about Conor’s leg after his injury that could be trouble.

Whoever it is, the excitement is building for Conor’s return…

[fightlab]

Robert Whitaker going to 170?

Robert Whitaker took to twitter this week to hint at him dropping back down to the 170lb division.

“Skinny Rob might be coming back sooner than I wanted 🥲👊🏽”

Robert Whitaker is an excellent fighter, he was the champ at 185 and has beaten some of the biggest names in that division…

But people often forget that Robert Whitaker fought at 170 before, and he has been hinting to us fight fans that he may make his return.

It isn’t a bad decision as he isn’t likely to get himself a 3rd title fight with the champ Israel Adesanya anytime soon. He came up short on two occasions to Israel, more recently at UFC 271 in February of this year, and may be looking for a fresh start at another weight class.

The 170lb division is exciting and there are some great match ups for Robert down there.

A good opponent would be a big name like Colby Covington or Jorge Masvidal, it is doubtful (but still possible) Robert would be able to get a crack at the champ Kamaru Usman straight away.

Whether it be 170 or 185 pounds, a Robert Whitaker fight will deliver.

[fightlab]

4 Dream Fights for 2022

Some of these fights are more likely than others but they would all be excellent to see this year.

Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones

This is a fight which has been hinted at for a while now since Jon has said many times that he is bulking up in preparation to make a big comeback at heavyweight.

Francis will be out of action for a while now as he went into the Ciryl Gane fight nursing an injury. Along with this the UFC and Francis are struggling to come to a deal, also Ngannou and Tyson Fury have been hinting at doing a boxing match which would throw another spanner in the works to hold up the jones fight.

A Lot of unanswered questions for this one, we will have to wait and see….

Conor Mcgregor vs Nate Diaz 3

This would be the biggest fight in terms of pay per views on my list. These guys have fought twice before and the ppv sales made them very profitable nights for the UFC and I think a third would be even bigger.

UFC 196 Nate vs Conor - 1 1.317M

UFC 202 Nate vs Conor 2 - 2 1.6M

Diaz won the first fight, McGregor won the second, this would be the decider to see which of them is the best.

Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev

This fight is possible maybe towards the end of the year. Kamaru is set to fight Leon Edwards at some point this year, which is not an easy fight for Kamaru. If everything goes well for Kamaru that will be the 3rd fighter he will have beaten for the second time.

As for Khamzat he is set to fight Gilbert Burns. Nothing has been announced but both fighters have verbally agreed to the fight so hopefully it will happen. If Khamzat gets through that fight , which is a tough one for him, then I'm sure the UFC will make that fight.

Kamaru Usman vs Israel Adesanya

The best until last.

At the moment Kamaru Usman is ranked as the pound for pound number 1 fighter on the planet. Hot on his heels at number 2 is fellow Nigerian Israel Adesanya.

These guys are friends with one another, and have both said they prefer to have two champions from Nigeria than one double champ….

But you can bet any real mma fan wants this fight.

Hopefully in years to come we don't look back wishing the UFC made this fight, much like many of us look back wishing we could have seen George St. Pierre vs Anderson Silva.

[fightlab]

Conor McGregor’s Return

Bellator Dublin was on at the weekend and in the crowd supporting his teammates was UFC superstar Conor McGregor. He spoke to some of the media sources to give us MMA fans a much needed update on when he will likely return to the octagon.

He revealed he would be cleared to spar in April, setting him up for a possible return in July.

“Maybe if your man [Oliveira] is wise, he might give it another month or two,” McGregor said. “July seems OK to me. I can’t say, too early. But July, if I’m sparring April, May, June, July, I could slap the head off most of these guys at the end of April.

With him eager to return along with him being vocal on twitter about wanting a title shot Dana White ofcourse was questioned about it.

“We will see what’s what with the lightweight division,” said White to The Underground. It’s going to depend on who the champion is when Conor McGregor comes back, they have a say in it. What do they want to do?

“If it’s Oliveira who is still champion when Conor comes back, maybe Oliveira wants Conor we will see then. There are many variables for his return, number one his health and how his leg is.

“Once that is 100 per cent, we will start to figure out where he goes because we have fights up to June 18 already.”

No other fighter would be considered to return to a title fight in the same circumstances, Mcgregor has lost 3 of his last 4 fights.

But the UFC is a business and Conor Mcgregor is good for business.

[fightlab]

Masvidal set to leave Colby in “critical condition” after UFC 272

Saturday night Las Vegas will host one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history.

Featuring Jorge “Gamebread” Masvidal and previous “best friend” now turned bitter rival Colby “Chaos” Covington. This fight is set to be just that..chaos!

There is a reason these guys are headlining UFC 272 despite there being no title on the line, they are huge stars and they have a fierce hatred for one another.

Two guys that are among the Welterweights in the world, both former title challengers, both coming off the back of losses to the champ Kamaru Usman, they find themselves having to now fight each other if they want to get themselves back into those title conversations.

During the build up to this fight, Masvidal has said that he plans to leave Convington in

“critical condition”

Colby has had some similarly violent things to say about Jorge….

“I could easily finish it quick because I’d do it all the time behind closed doors when we used to train. But this one, I’m going to drag it out. I’m going to make him suffer and it’ll probably be the first time in UFC history you see a guy in a main event just verbally tap out and say he can’t take no more of a beating.”

When we look at this match up many people would just look at their styles and say it's a wrestler (Colby) vs a striker (Jorge)....but it isn’t the case. You have to remember these guys trained together day in day out for a long time, they know the take downs they like to use and the combinations they like to throw, they knew then how to beat each other in sparring, the question is has anything changed since they parted ways. Lucky for us fans on March 5th we’re going to find out.

The week of media coverage for this fight is set to be electric, from the UFC’s embedded, weigh-ins and press conference.

It’s a fight week not to be missed!